Schools warned against bias toward illegal immigrants

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WASHINGTON — Despite a 32-year-old court ruling, school districts continue to raise barriers to enrollment for children brought into the United States illegally, the Obama administration said on Thursday, characterizing reports of hindrances as troubling.

The Justice Department and Education Department issued guidance reminding schools and districts they have a legal obligation to enroll every student regardless of immigration status. The guidance says schools should be flexible in deciding which documents they will accept to prove a student's age or residency.

The guidance reminds them not to ask about a student's immigration status or require documents such as a driver's license, if that would prevent a student from enrolling because of a parent's immigration status.

The Education Department said it has received 17 complaints since 2011 from states including Colorado, North Carolina, Ohio, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico and the District of Columbia.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said that in some instances, school leaders have inappropriately required information such as a child's visa status or date of entry into the United States.

Justice Department officials said they have taken action, sometimes collaboratively with the Education Department and sometimes working separately. The Justice Department has entered into settlement agreements with school districts in states such as Georgia, Florida, and Virginia. And it said after it contacted officials in Alabama, the state education department sent guidance to districts spelling out that they may not bar or discourage students from enrollment because they lack a Social Security number or birth certificate or because their parents don't have an Alabama driver's license.

In a settlement with the district in Palm Beach County, Fla., the district agreed to provide translation help during enrollment and to permit homeless students who lack documentation to enroll.

In Henry County, Ga., as part of a separate settlement, the district agreed to ensure that a parent's decision to withhold a child's Social Security number will not keep the child from enrolling.

J.D. Hardin, a spokesman for Henry County schools, said students never were barred from classes in the district, which is about 20 minutes south of metro Atlanta. District officials believed they could start the withdrawal process under Georgia's enrollment rules if a parent didn't provide a Social Security number or fill out a waiver within 30 days of the student beginning classes, he said.

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